Chef Harbor Marina

For a Louisiana boat rental, all renters must be at least 18. Age 10 is the earliest a person can receive boater education certification and operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower without the accompaniment exception. Under R.S. 34:851.36, anyone born after January 1, 1984, needs an approved course or must be accompanied by someone over 18 who completed the course, if required. That exception does not apply to personal watercraft, whose operators must be at least 16 and course-certified if born after that date. The rental operator may set a higher minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (wlf.louisiana.gov)

Louisiana requires boater education rather than a boating license: anyone born after January 1, 1984 must carry proof of an LDWF approved course to operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower or a personal watercraft. A motorboat operator may instead be accompanied by someone over 18 who has completed the course if required, but that exception does not apply to personal watercraft. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16; rental operators must be at least 18, and students cannot be certified before age 10.

U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains are exempt. Eligible renters from a state approved livery may watch the LDWF safety video for a 48 hour exemption. Course graduates receive a temporary certificate while proof is processed.

Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (wlf.louisiana.gov)

From New Orleans, you can boat on Lake Pontchartrain, continue through The Rigolets or Chef Menteur Pass to Lake Borgne, or explore Bayou Sauvage’s marsh waterways. Lake Pontchartrain is broad open water, with launching available at West End. The Rigolets is a deep connecting passage with irregular currents, while Chef Menteur Pass is used by pleasure craft but has shallow water near its entrances. Fort Pike and Geoghegan canals have additional launching ramps. Bayou Sauvage suits small craft, with shallow lakes, lagoons, canals and natural bayous between Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne.

Source: New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor Management Corporation (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Boaters can make day trips from New Orleans to Madisonville’s Tchefuncte River waterfront, Mandeville’s Lake Pontchartrain lakefront, the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse, and Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Madisonville draws crews to riverfront restaurants and marinas, while Mandeville combines a marina, parks and dining along the lake. The lighthouse at the Tchefuncte’s mouth makes a scenic sightseeing stop. For a quieter outing within New Orleans, Bayou Sauvage offers fishing, crabbing, birding and boating among marshes, canals and shallow interior lakes.

Source: New Orleans & Company (neworleans.com)